Flashlight



Get. 28, 1941. F, MULDQON 2,261,000

FLASHLIGHT Filed Sept. 29, 1938 W e/had ffiv/w, INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 28, i941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLASHLIGHT Bernard F.Muldoon, Mountainview, N. J., assignor to Henry Hyman, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application September 29, 1938, Serial No. 232,257

3 Claims. (Cl. 240-10.6

This invention relates to a flashlight in which the casing is dividedlongitudinally with a portion or portions thereof movable relative toone another so that the battery can be inserted therein from the sideand the casing can be readily and easily closed and fastened.

The casing of this flashlight is so constituted and arranged thattranslucent colored material is kept in position to be rendered visibleby the light bulb of the flashlight so as to serve as warning or dangersignal.

The casing is so shaped that it is non-circular in cross section. It isflattened on one side and a large portion of the remainder thereof ismade oval in cross section, with its glass or lens as well as thetranslucent material at an angle to the axis of the flashlight. Also,the reflector is made longer or extends forwardly farther along the flatside of the casing than along the opposite side thereof. In this way itbecomes convenient or natural for the user of this flashlight to so holdit in carrying it that his fingers grasp the rounded or oval portionwhile his thumb rests upon the flat portion where the switch is located,and, by so carrying it, light is not only projected forwardly but aconsiderable amount of light is also projected downwardly near his feet.On the other hand when this flashlight is laid down it is naturally laidupon the support with its flat side down. This results in causing thelight rays to be projected not only forwardly but also upwardly as muchas up to 90 or more to the axis of the flashlight.

The invention will be understood from the description in connection withthe accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a section along the line 33 of Fig. 1; with the section Iremoved; and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through Fig. 1.

In the drawing, reference characters'I and 2 indicate two sections of aflashlight casing divided longitudinally. Grooves 3 are provided in theedges of the section I to enable it to slide along the rim 4 of thesection 2. The rear end of the section I overlaps the section 2 asindicated at 5.

A ring 6 of translucent material, such as glass, synthetic resin and thelike, which becomes visi ble from the sides when the flashlight islighted, is installed at the front end of the casing at an angle ofabout 45 to the axis thereof. The ring 6 may be kept in place, forexample, by an extension '1 at the lower front end of the section 2, towhich extension the ring 6 may be attached by means of a rivet or thelike. A bezel 8 is provided on the front side of the ring 6, into whichthe glass or lens 9 is snapped and held in place.

The front ends of the casing sections I and 2 are enlarged, as indicatedat I0 and III respectively. Flanges II and I2 are provided along theinner edges of the front ends of the casing sections I and 2, and theseflanges extend into a groove I3 that is provided along the inside of thering 6 when the casing sections are in assembled relation.

The lower portions of the ring 6 and casing section 2 are flattened, asshown at I4 and I4, and a lug I6 with a flattened end is provided nearthe rear end of the section 2, the flat portions at I4 and I6 being inthe same plane.

A reflector I1 is installed in proximity to the glass 9 and held inplace in any convenient way, preferably with its rim at an angle ofabout 45 to the axis of the flashlight so that rays of light from theflashlight bulb are not only projected forwardly but are also reflectedby the extended portion of the reflector at different angles up to abouta angle to the axis of the flashlight.

Lugs I8 and I9 are provided on the casing sections I and 2, to whichlugs spring strips 20 and 2| are attached in such positions that theyengage each other frictionally when the casing sections are assembled soas to retain the section I in closing position when it is slid forwardto cause the flange I I thereof to enter the groove I3 in the ring 6.The springs 20 and 2| may be provided with rounded transverse ridges 22along their contacting faces so as to retain them. more securely inplace, but permitting them to be pulled apart longitudinally.

Th battery 25, lamp bulb 26, switch 21, and electrical connections 28are no part of the present invention and are therefore merely indicatedsomewhat conventionally or diagrammatically, as these elements ar wellknown and different arrangements of the same can be used in thisflashlight.

The space 30, as shown in Fig. 3, is very convenient for accommodatingthe connecting strips 28 without interfering with the location of thebattery cells.

Instead of having the casing sections I and 2 longitudinally slidablewith respect to each other, they may be hinged together so as to openlaterally, in which case the ring 6 would be attached to the shortersection and the flange I2 or at least a portion thereof would be omittedfrom the longer casing section.

What is claimed is:

l. A flashlight casing, comprising upper and lower longitudinallyextending sections each having a beveled end at an angle to the axis ofsaid casing, a ring attached to the lower section and fitting itsbeveled end, said upper section having its end fitting against saidring, and a reflector in said casing having its edge parallel to saidbeveled ends and in proximity thereto.

2. A flashlight casing, comprising upper and lower longitudinallyextending sections each having a beveled end at an angle to the axis ofsaid casing, a ring attached to the lower section and fitting itsbeveled end, said upper section having its end fitting against saidring, and a reflector in said casing having its edge parallel to saidbeveled ends and located within said ring, and

said ring framing the light-emitting opening and forming a support for alens.

3. A flashlight casing, comprising upper and lower longitudinallyextending sections each having a beveled end at an angle to the axis ofsaid casing, a ring attached to the lower section and fitting itsbeveled end, said upper section having its end fitting against saidring, a reflector in said casing having its edge parallel to saidbeveled ends and in proximity thereto, and an electric lamp locatedsubstantially along the longitudinal axis of said casing, said reflectorhaving a portion of its surface reflecting rays from said lamp forwardlyand another portion reflecting rays from said lamp substantially normalto the plane of said beveled edges.

BERNARD F. MULDOON.

